Social media is a hot spot of information that thieves can use to compromise your identity and accounts. Here are some precautions to protect your identity:

• Check your privacy settings! Keep your accounts private and only befriend people that you know and trust.

• Keep your personal information minimal. Avoid displaying information like middle names, pet names, hometown, full birthdate, schools attended, and employer. Also, never publicly answer social media prompts. You may have seen posts like: “Your DJ name is your favorite color + your pet’s name”. Many people make the mistake of commenting their answers for everyone to see. Thieves can use this information to guess your security question answers.

• Never click on suspicious links or reply to suspicious messages, even from people you know. Thieves will impersonate people you know to get you to click on links that will ultimately compromise your account. Always contact your friend via other means to confirm if the message is legitimate.

If you suspect that you have fallen victim to Identity Theft, follow the Federal Trade Commission’s plan for recovery here.